27th Great American Beer Festival: Denver

The alcohol found in beer, wine and liquor is a byproduct of ethanol fermentation, a type of anaerobic metabolism. Some organisms like yeast live in environments where oxygen is absent so they have to extract energy from food without the aid of the gas we humans require for survival. Instead of completely breaking glucose down to carbon dioxide, ethanol (drinking alcohol) is formed. Brewers and winemakers have taken advantage of this microbial process for thousands of years.

Okay, enough with the science. Let’s talk about the 27th Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and the guests of honor – 1800 types of beer from over 400 breweries scattered across the U.S. landscape. According to the “Guinness Book of World Records” this is the largest selection of beers on tap at one time. Here’s another interesting factoid: Denver, the host city for this annual festival, brews more beer per capita than any other city in the nation.

The brewery industry has been at the leading edge of the sustainability movement so environmental consciousness was a theme at this year’s GABF. Many breweries are adopting techniques to minimize their impact, helping to make the world a better place to live (and drink) in the process. Breweries showcased at the GABF that are helping to save the world include: Airdale, Anderson Valley, Boulder Beer, Firestone Walker, Full Sail, Hoppin’ Frog, Iron Springs Pub, Kona, Lakefront, Odell, Oskar Blues, Otter Creek, Rogue’s and Sierra Nevada. New Belgium Brewery in Ft. Collins (a personal favorite) has been a leader in the sustainability movement for years now. Strategies include using recycled equipment, waste reduction, wind energy, wastewater treatment, and biodiesel fuels.


This was my first time at the GABF, and beer lovers from all over come to this event. As I was standing in line to enter the convention center, I overheard the group behind me talking about their 25-hour drive from Canada, arriving just in time for the spectacle.

Once inside the Colorado Convention Center, my beer-loving companion and I headed to the Michigan section. Liz is a Michigan transplant so she wanted to go there first. My first one-ounce sample was of Rochester Mills’ Organic Wit, and a tasty beverage it was. Throughout the evening, I made stops to savor the brewmaster flavors of Abita Turbodog from Louisiana, Shiner Bock from Texas (an old college favorite), the Widmer Brothers' Hefeweisen from Oregon, and of course, Colorado’s New Belgium organic Mothership Wit and Odell’s Easy Street Wheat. I’m not sure how many states were sampled in all, but the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, Hawaii and several states in between, made the list. When asked at the end of the evening how many states she had visited, Liz told me “55” --- hmmmmm.


The next time you’re in the mood for a cold one, try one of the many offerings provided by the list of eco-brewers above. You can have a beer and help save the planet at the same time! That sounds like a win-win situation to me.